Library to Host Virtual Activities For National Novel Writing Month

The Joliet Junior College Library will once again host virtual activities to celebrate National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).  

Participants in NaNoWriMo are tasked with writing a 50,000-word novel starting on Nov. 1 and finishing by Nov. 30. Those wishing to participate must register and log word counts on NaNoWriMo’s website. You do not have to be registered with NaNoWriMo to participate in the JJC Library’s events.  

The first event is “Let's Get Ready to WriMo! Creative Writing with English Professor Kristin LaTour” on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. Join Professor LaTour as she helps you get creative in preparation for Nov. 1. She will lead you through a series of prompts, with time for writing and sharing. Bring your writing questions for answers from an expert. You can register for this event online. All of the Library’s events are free and open to the community.  

The JJC Library is also working with regional chapter NaperWriMo, which is holding its own events, to offer online support for local writers on campus and throughout the district. 

JJC associate professor and librarian, Michelle Y. Roubal, helps to organize the events. She believes that NaNoWriMo is a valuable event for the community. 

“Writing is important to success not only at all levels of education, but also for our residents in the workforce. People become involved in NaNoWriMo to jump-start their creativity on the way to writing a novel. But whether our students and local residents ever finish a novel, or even go on to become writers, they will improve their communication skills through this practice of writing,” said Roubal.  

Another event is the Library Crawl, which encourages participants to visit virtual Write-In sessions to win prizes. The JJC Library will host online Library Crawl Check-Ins on Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 6-9 p.m. You can register here. 

The final activity hosted by the JJC Library is the NaNoWriMo Wrap-Up on Dec. 1 from 7 to 8 p.m. Writers will be able to share their stories and learn about self-publishing options. You can register for this event here. 

You can find more of the JJC Library’s NaNoWriMo events online. 

“The JJC Library engages in literacy efforts that will benefit our District 525 community. Literacy is not just reading, by writing your own stories you are building literacy,” said Roubal. 

For more information about JJC’s participation in NaNoWriMo, contact the Library at librarian@jjc.edu. 

For media inquiries, contact Communications and Media Coordinator Scott Harvey at sharvey@jjc.edu.